Judge Blocks Trump's Funding Cut to Sanctuary Jurisdictions

A federal judge in San Francisco blocked the Trump administration from withholding federal funds from sanctuary jurisdictions opposing his immigration policies. Judge William Orrick ruled in favor of several cities arguing that the executive order unlawfully pressured them to cooperate with federal immigration arrests.

A federal judge in San Francisco has issued a significant ruling against the Trump administration, blocking an attempt to withhold federal funding from jurisdictions known as sanctuary cities. These cities have resisted cooperating fully with federal immigration enforcement policies.

U.S. District Judge William Orrick, responding to a lawsuit by 16 cities and counties, issued a preliminary injunction against the executive order targeting these jurisdictions. This order, signed by Trump, threatened to cut off federal funds from localities that limited cooperation with immigration officials.

The ruling is reminiscent of a similar 2017 case, also decided by Orrick, where the courts upheld the rights of these jurisdictions against what was deemed unconstitutional pressure from the federal government. This new decision underscores ongoing tensions between federal directives and local autonomy concerning immigration enforcement.

(With inputs from agencies.)